Simple
by Emerald Dreams
Summary: She was tired of pretending. It was that simple. Oneshot. Haru x Tohru.


**Author's Note**

Emerald Dreams: Personally, I like Kagura better than Tohru but I felt compelled to write this fic for some odd reason beyond me. It's a one-shot and a very short one at that. Haru x Tohru is the main focus and pairing so if you don't like don't read. This fic was totally un-planned and in my opinion it totally sucks. But hey, I tried my best so I guess that'll suffice for me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, but if I did I'd make my favorite boar attend anger management and slap the hell out of Akito! Lol.

**Simple**

She looked so lonely sometimes.

Haru, the overall cool, calm, and collected teen couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Tohru when he caught her on those rare moments. It hadn't entirely escaped his notice that everyone in his family had some kind of sob story to go with their lives; the rejection of a loved one, false childhoods, fractured dreams, not to mention the Sohma curse. They were all walking ads for anti-depressants. The idea never failed to stir a grim kind of amusement from Haru whenever it crossed his mind. If anything, they should've been able to understand each other, been able to find some kind of support from each other's pain, but they were so often just wrapped up in their own angst that they never even noticed the rest of the bleeding hearts around them. Haru sometimes found himself holding it against them. They were all so selfish and pitiful; almost to the point it disgusted him.

Tohru, though... was far from being selfish. She gave and gave and gave some more. In return, she tucked her own pain away behind that beautiful smile of hers, never asking for anything in return. Sometimes...just sometimes, Haru saw that smile fade when she thought no one else was looking and he saw someone he could truly sympathize with.

That's why Hatsuharu would never be able to forget the day he'd seen the oniguri with her guard finally let down. All of her classmates had opted to play cards and she'd politely declined. Tohru had instead settled for sitting in the back of the classroom at her desk, a sad look set on her normally cheerful features, as she idly gazed out the window. When he'd approached the brunette the depressed look on her face had melted away as fast as it had appeared, replaced by her customary, jovial smile.

"Oh, hi Hatsuharu!" Tohru had exclaimed, seemingly happy and full of mirth. But the cow had known better. He'd narrowed his eyes and stared into her sapphire orbs silently, searching for the feelings she kept locked away from the world. When he'd found them Haru realized they really weren't that different. It was horribly complex, yet completely simple. Wryly, he thought that smile of hers seemed to fool everyone.

Tohru Honda was tired.

But the others were too dense to notice such a thing; too caught up in their own depression and constant need for reassurance and kind words from her to notice she needed comforting herself.

Tohru was tired of smiling.

Tired of laughing.

Tired of pretending that everything was okay.

It was that simple.

And Tohru couldn't reveal such a thing to them for the oniguri was afraid they'd think her weak. Think less of her. But if they were her real friends they'd be able to decipher the hidden message behind her eyes easily. Everyone thought Tohru was such a simple girl, Akito dubbing her an insignificant fool, yet how was it that Haru was the only one to finally figure her out?

Tohru puzzled him, yet fascinated him at the same time. She wasn't your average high school girl. She was genuine and sweet, always holding an air of innocence, and yet at the same time she showed signs of wisdom far beyond her years. The oniguri always lent a shoulder to cry on and was constantly ready to listen to whatever someone had to say whenever they were in need of comforting words or reassurance. That was just the way she was. Hatsuharu knew that the cursed, Sohma family had been lucky to have someone like Tohru Honda stumble upon them and enter their lives so unexpectedly.

Tohru helped each and every one of them. Kisa, Yuki, Kyou, Hatori, Momiji and even himself. The list of the unfortunate souls she seemed to save with a simple smile and warm loving embrace went on and on. In the eyes of the Sohma's Tohru was a saint. Some even thought she was the one, the one who could break the curse.

Haru seriously doubted that.

Tohru was sweet and compassionate, and was always willing to put her own life on hold for the sake of helping another. But, how could she save them if she couldn't even save herself? Tohru still had yet to express her own grief for the loss of her mother and still had yet to battle against her own inner demons. She needed someone to hold her, someone to whisper reassuring words in her ear. Someone to understand her.

Normally, Haru wasn't one to go out of his way to help another person. But as he stood there quietly, taking in the scene before him with knowing eyes he knew he'd have to make an exception. After all, the cow had known it had been coming; the oniguri had finally broken down. But he was there, and he knew he would be the one to save her, brush away her tears and hold her in his arms.

Haru stared at the brunette observantly for a moment. Tohru's head was bowed, her bangs shielding her eyes. The brunette was sitting quietly on the edge of her bed, the picture of her mother that she treasured so much crushed against her chest. He glanced at her again before closing the door, careful not too make too much noise. However, despite his effort the door creaked quite loudly. He cringed and upon hearing the noise Tohru gasped softly as she sat up, turning to stare at him with a shocked expression on her features. Haru crossed the room quietly and plopped his bottom down on her bed, turning to regard the surprised oniguri coolly.

"Hey. What's up?" Upon recovering from her surprise Tohru smiled in response to his blatant greeting.

"Hello, Hatsuharu!" she greeted cheerfully enough, just as the cow had predicted even though just a few moments before she had looked like she was ready to jump off a cliff. "You're the last person I expected to see. Kyou and Yuki didn't send you to check on me, did they?" Even her voice was groomed. Light and cheery, like it always was.

Hatsuharu shook his head, regarding Tohru in silence for a moment. She tilted her head and her expression grew confused. "Tohru," he started slowly, "why do you keep pretending?"

"Pretending? What-"

"Pretending that you're okay. Pretending that everything is okay. Why do you act like you're happy when you're not?"

"Everything is okay Haru," Tohru insisted, still beaming at him. "And I am happy. See? Why wouldn't I be? I have so many great friends and I've had the honor of meeting you and Yuki, Kyou…everyone in the Sohma family! I've met so many wonderful people in such a short time and have been touched by all of you and-"

"Then why were you crying?" Tohru blinked at him, and then went to wipe her eyes.

"I-I wasn't…really I'm fine."

"You're lying. And you know what? I'm here to listen, so I won't leave until you tell me what's wrong." His voice was firm and left no room for argument.

Tohru bit her lip hard, her expression pained. Haru was normally so stoic, so quiet. The fact that he had come to her by himself made it hard to convince herself that she should lie to him. Besides, there had always been something about him that she connected with. She could almost empathize with the guarded look in his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, her voice breathless. "But…but I don't want to be a burden."

Haru smiled at her slightly. "You could never be a burden."

And then she crumbled.

Her eyes glimmered with tears and she surged forth and buried her face in his chest, a sob escaping her lips. Tohru had finally dropped all her masks and what was before him was little more than a sad, tired young girl. Hatsuharu's one hand rose to the small of her back, then up, through the waves of her brown hair to rub against her shoulder. She was soft under his touch, susceptible and easily broken. But he thought that maybe it was this vulnerability that drew him, that puzzled him. He knew she was strong, stronger than he would ever verbally give her credit for.

Between the sobs and the hiccups Haru could barely make out her words. But there was no need to rush. "Take your time," he whispered.

And then she told him everything. Her inner fears, how much she missed her mother. She told him how she feared everyone rejecting her the moment she stopped smiling. Tohru admitted to feeling disgusted at herself for being so weak. She said if they knew the real her they would all be disgusted and discard her just as easily as her own family had. She told him her darkest thoughts and secrets. Everything. Haru realized Tohru was as delicate and frail as a snowflake yet she was so strong. And that amazed him.

Finally, when she was done Tohru smiled slightly up at him. "Thank you, I-I feel so much better now." It was the closest thing to a real smile he'd ever seen on her face and Haru knew it would be the first of many more to come. He smiled back. And somehow as they sat there in companionable silence, a single thought chanted through the cow's mind which frightened him yet at the same time caused a crooked smile to blossom on his rugged handsome features.

He loved her.

And it was that simple.


End file.
